Southern Islands of Isalia – full color fantasy map

Here we have a map of some southern islands and tundra. It’s less common to see a map set in the southern hemisphere, so this is fun! I have a lot of questions as to what has gone on here; a pole shift? Destruction by war? Destruction by magic? Either way, there is now a sea frozen over and a capital lost in the wasteland tundra. I did something I’ve never done in a map before. This was having a go at doing a sort of ‘height’ map around the islands to show where the sand bars are before it drops off into deep water. I also added volcanic smoke, an effect I particularly enjoy coming off of that island in the left centre.

Sometimes I make a map and I know it’s going to bring me future business. So it is not a surprise to me that I have already been asked to create a map in the same style as this magnificent poster created for a roleplaying game group, the World of Hymar. This is a much smaller section of land, of course–rather than an overview of multiple continents, we’re seeing a few islands with their mountains and volcanoes. The compass is a copy of a historical design seen in early maps. Everything else on this map is hand painted or constructed from stock textures. This crafts the illusion of traditional art.

I very much enjoyed painting these southern islands. Hope to get more commissions like this in the future! Feel free to contact me if you love my art and want a map for your own roleplaying game. Dungeons and Dragons, Gurps, Pathfinder–doesn’t matter, I’m happy to do you an illustration of your tiny world. 😀